From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria has voiced deep concerns over the increasing incidents of vandalism targeting transmission lines and towers, warning that these destructive acts are disrupting the nation’s power grid and critical infrastructure.
TCN’s General Manager for Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, disclosed the recent attack in which vandals damaged the 330kV Lokoja-Gwagwalada transmission line early Saturday.
According to Mbah, TCN engineers attempted to re-energise the line that morning, only for it to trip repeatedly.
Upon inspection, a TCN patrol team discovered that vandals had damaged transmission towers T306, T307, and T308 along the line, disrupting bulk power transmission.
“The vandals stole two spans of aluminum conductors from the line, and we are currently making efforts to source replacements,” Mbah stated.
She explained that while the Lokoja-Gwagwalada line is a double-circuit line, with TCN managing to supply power through the undamaged line two, the missing aluminium conductors are essential for restoring full functionality to line one.
“The rise in vandalism on transmission lines and towers presents a significant challenge, impacting Nigeria’s power infrastructure and impeding the stability and growth of the national grid,” Mbah noted.
She noted several past incidents, particularly in the Gwagwalada area, where the Gwagwalada-Kukuwaba-Apo transmission line was attacked in December 2023, followed by an assault on the Gwagwalada-Katampe line in February 2024, among others.
She stressed that such disruptions are a detriment to the nation’s power supply and urged communities to aid TCN and security agencies in tackling this issue.
